Washington Informer

DC SCORES named the first winner in Toyota's 2012 100 Cars for Good program

DC SCORES, which provides award-winning after-school programs for low-income youth in Washington, D.C., today received a brand new Toyota Sienna as part of the automaker's100 Cars for Good program. The Toyota 100 Cars for Good is a national philanthropic initiative which awards 100 cars to deserving nonprofit organizations with winners selected daily on Facebook for 100 days through August 21.

Joined by dozens of DC SCORES participants, Toyota Vice President Michael Rouse presented the keys to the new vehicle to DC SCORES Executive Director Amy Nakamoto at a press conference at the Marie Reed Elementary School in Washington, DC.

"There is a lack of after-school programs in the DC area and DC SCORES has stepped in to fill that need – offering kids the chance to participate in organized sports and arts programs," said Rouse. "Toyota is committed to being a community partner and is focused on supporting programs in ways that achieve long-term sustainable results. We hope this vehicle helps DC SCORES build upon the amazing work already established here in Washington."

Amy Nakamoto said, "We are extremely excited to be receiving a van from Toyota through the 100 Cars for Good program. Thanks to Toyota's generosity and service to our community, we will be able to provide and transport much-needed soccer and writing equipment to over 40 DC public schools who host a DC SCORES after-school program. This will increase our efficiency in using time, money and people to directly impact hundreds of DC students in the coming years. We are very grateful to be part of such a large and effective philanthropic initiative by Toyota."

DC SCORES was selected as a finalist out of thousands of applicants nationwide and chosen by online voters as this year's first winner. Their programs benefit more than 800 children at 27 schools across Washington, DC. The new Sienna minivan will support DC SCORES activities that promote physical activity and creativity throughout the city and will help facilitate the organization's expansion to 20 new schools in the District. DC SCORES detailed how they will use their new Toyota Sienna in a video, found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToOq2XrJ-Yc.

Toyota will profile five finalists each day at www.100carsforgood.com, where individual members of the public are invited to vote for the nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of each day wins one of six Toyota models. Runners-up each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota. A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services.

A memorial service will be held Friday, July 6 for Albert R. "Butch" Hopkins, who passed away last week at age 71.

At the time of his death on June 28, Hopkins -- a fourth generation Washingtonian -- was president and CEO of the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) where he had served since 1969. Hopkins, a graduate of Howard University where he also earned a law degree, was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In May, the city designated the 1800 block Martin Luther King Avenue in Southeast as Butch Hopkins Way.

Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry, who issued a statement on Hopkins' passing, praised him a dear friend who will be sorely missed by the community.

"As the president and CEO of AEDC, as well as one of the founders of the Anacostia Coordinating Council, Butch Hopkins has been in the forefront of moving the Anacostia community forward for decades," said Barry. "His efforts have resulted in unsurpassed economic development, entrepreneurial opportunities and jobs that not only benefit Ward 8, but the city overall. Butch Hopkins was loved, admired and respected in the Anacostia community and throughout the city."

Hopkins is survived by his son, Mark Hopkins and his daughter Michelle Hopkins Lawrence, six grandchildren; and his sisters, Althea Holland and Barbara Hopkins.

A celebration of Hopkins' life will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, July 5 at Joseph Gawler's Sons Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Ave. in Northwest. The memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Matthew's Cathedral, 1725 Rhode Island Ave. in Northwest.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Butch Hopkins Memorial AEDC Scholarship Fund, c/o AEDC, 1800 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20020.

Mayor Vincent Gray has expressed frustration that two days after a sweltering storm hit the area  -- killing at least 10 people -- it could be a week before electrical power is restored to thousands of homes and businesses across the District.

To make matters worse, weather forecasters say that the intense heat, which enveloped the area over the weekend, is expected to return.

Grat voiced his sentiments Monday surrounding Pepco's timeliness restoring power. He said in an interview that it's not like the storm that swept through the region Saturday, "hasn't happened before."

As a result of power outages and other damages that occurred, District of Columbia Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, July 3. While federal agencies in the District will be open on Tuesday, non-emergency employees have the option of working from home or taking a day's leave.

As a result of the major storm that hit the area on Friday night, all District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) will be closed on Tuesday, July 3.

Students and staff assigned to summer school, summer bridge or extended school year (ESY) programs should not report to their sites.

DCPS schools will not be open for use by other community based organizations (CBOs) or programs, including SYEP participants, on July 3.

DCPS administrative sites will be open.

School officials hope to resume normal operations and open schools for all programs on Thursday, July 5.

Restoration Effort Will Take Several Days

Friday night's violent windstorm that ripped through the Washington area has devastated the Pepco electric system, leaving more than 443,000 of Pepco's 788,000 customers without power.

Winds in excess of 70 miles per hour uprooted trees and blew down limbs, which brought down numerous power lines and broke crossarms and poles.

Due to the widespread damage and the large number of outages, the power restoration effort is expected to take several days. Critical customers who need electricity for life support equipment are advised to seek shelter where power is available. The weather forecast for the Washington area calls for more thunderstorms today, which could cause additional outages.

"As soon as the storm passed, we had crews starting to assess the damage,"said Thomas H. Graham, President, Pepco Region. We'll continue conducting a comprehensive assessment, which we'll use to strategically deploy crews. We'll work full force and around the clock until every customer is restored."

After a severe storm such as this, assessing damage and estimating when customers will be restored could take more than 24 hours after the storm has passed.

All Pepco employees have a second role during emergencies and will participate in the restoration effort.

The utility is calling for crews from other utilities to assist with restoring service. However, the large magnitude of the storm has left utilities with millions of customers without electric service from the Midwest through the Mid-Atlantic regions. It is likely that crews who are able to assist will have to travel days to arrive.

Pepco will restore power by targeting wires serving critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, fire stations, water filtration plants and police stations, as well as those serving the largest number of customers.

The safety of our customers and crews is paramount. Customers are urged to avoid working crews and to stay away from all downed wires, even if they don?t appear to be energized.

All outages and downed wires should be reported to 1-877-PEPCO-62, through pepco.com or through the mobile app, available for downloading at pepco.com/mobileapp. Customers should request a call back to verify their power has been restored.

Rodney King Remembered as 'Symbol of Forgiveness'

Rodney King, who suffered a brutal beating in 1991 at the hands of four Los Angeles police officers, was laid to rest Saturday following a public memorial. His burial which captured by news cameras, took place at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, Calif.

King was found dead in the swimming pool at his home in Rialto,Calif., on June 17. The death has been ruled as an accidental drowning and authorities are still waiting on the results of an autopsy report.

"I will remember his smile, his unconditional love," King's daughter Laura Dene King, 28, said. "He was a great father, a great friend; he loved everyone. People will just have to smile when they think of him."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy, described King as a symbol of forgiveness, who bore the scars of his infamous beating with dignity.

He also said during a news conference prior to the funeral that King never showed bitterness to the officers who beat him.

"People should not be judged by the mistakes that they make, but by how they rise above them," Sharpton said. "Rodney had risen above his mistakes, he never mocked anyone, not the police, not the justice system, not anyone."

King, who was 47, was also most famously known for his plea, "Can we all just get along?" He filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles in 1992, which later netted him a settlement in excess of $3 million.

Work of CBC Foundation to be Highlighted during Four-Day Session

WASHINGTON - The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) will host its 42nd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) from September 19-22 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This year's conference theme is "Inspiring Leaders| Building Generations." U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Andre Carson of Indiana are serving as honorary co-chairs of the conference.

ALC provides an outlet to highlight the mission of CBCF - to develop leaders, to inform policy and to educate the public. It also provides dozens of forums to address the critical challenges facing the African-American community. The Foundation will offer numerous session tracks to present high level, thought-provoking, engaging and useful information. The town hall discussion will center around conversations about voting rights and voter suppression. The third installation of the research report Breaking Barriers 3 will be released during ALC and further define academic success for school-aged African-American males. CBCF Fellows will return to present their popular Alumni Series and the popular Black Party networking affair will return.

In addition, scholarship recipients in the performing arts will be recognized during the Celebration of Leadership, and CBC members and spouses will join together for a community outreach project. The conference will culminate with its awards/fundraising dinner. Proceeds from ALC are used to fund educational opportunities and program outreach.

"The Annual Legislative Conference brings together policy-makers, educators, business and industry leaders, celebrities, media, emerging leaders and everyday Americans to discuss and solve issues that are important to all Americans," said Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer for CBCF. "The conference is recognized as one of the most important gatherings of African-American leaders in the nation. In addition, attendees recognize the importance of what CBCF accomplishes in the community and have supported our efforts to provide scholarships, internships and fellowships, and to improve economic parity and reduce health disparities."